USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume I > Part 82
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HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS
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your Friend My Watermark
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ly, The Times and other papers. In 1859 he was in Washington again, employed on The States, edited by Roger A. Pryor. The war was coming on apace and Mr. Watterson was where he could easily hear the warning sounds which foretold the impending irrepressible con- flict. Like his father, he opposed secession, but when the die was cast, he went with the South as did thousands of other good men and true who, doubtini the wisdom of seces- sion, yet went with their own people into the maelstrom of the succeeding four years. He was aide-de-camp to Gen. N. B. Forrest, the Wizard of the Saddle, and later on the staff of Bishop Leonidas Polk who, for the time being put aside the habiliments of the church to don those of the soldier and no more gal- lant gentleman or general ever led his legions to battle.
For a time during 1862 and 1863. Mr. Wat- terson directed the affairs of the Confederacy and its armies as he deemed they should go. through the medium of The Chattanooga Rebel, the most unique newspaper ever pub- lished and certainly the most popular journal in the camps that was published anywhere in the South. Associated with him on this pa- per was another young man, Albert Roberts of Nashville, equally audacious with him- self. and what those two youngsters did not know and make public about the manner of conducting a Government or directing the movements of an army was a negligible quan- tity. It was of great service to the army. During the uncomfortable and disastrous days of the winter of 1862-3, its daily visits to the camps put heart into the soldiers and con- soled them, in part for the wasted opportu- nities of the battle, won and thrown away by Bragg at Murfreesboro.
When the war ended. Mr. Watterson was connected for a time with the Nashville Banner from which paper he came to Louis- ville taking an editorial position with Mr. Prentice on The Journal. Louisville was then
a town of perhaps 75,000 inhabitants yet it had three morning newspapers, the Journal, Democrat and Courier. The field was too small, a fact easily apparent to Mr. Watter- son and Mr. Haldeman. These two, each em- inent in his special field, saw a clear way out. The result was the merging of two papers into the Courier-Journal, the purchase of the Dem- ocrat and the beginning of the fortunes of the first named. Mr. Prentice was an old man; his day was past and he soon found rest. Mr. Watterson's great opportunity had come and it found him ready. Great questions of the war were yet to be settled and with all the ardor of his nature. he threw himself into the heated discussions which marked the journal- ism of that day. He was liberal. progessive and eloquent in the stand he took as to the duty of the Southern people. He counseled them that the war was ended; preached peace rather than strife and besought them to set about saving something from the wreck of their great section rather than devoting their time to uselessly bemoaning their fate or heap- ing maledictions upon those who had won in the game of war. He fought for a reconcil- iation between the sections only to be denounced by many of those he sought to best serve in the South, and to be jeered at by the extrem- ists at the North who refused to believe that any good could come out of the Southern Nazareth. Neither extremists, North or South caused him to halt for a moment on the line of march he had marked out. Here in Ken- tucky there were Bourbons, who, after the manner of their kind, had learned nothing, for- gotten nothing. Many of these were men whose passions had not grown heated until after the fires of war had burned to ashes. These were loudest in denunciation of the course the young editor declared from day to day, the South should follow. He took no offense and small notice of these belligerents after the fact. The Courier-Journal was pleading for a united country, for the up-
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building of a stricken section and had no time to waste upon "Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart" bark they never so loudly and viciously at its heels.
Mr. Watterson was in advance of the Dem- ocratic party in the South and in Kentucky in this course, but he has lived to see the entire Union in line with what he nearly fifty years ago declared was the only line upon which peace, unity and prosperity could be hoped for. As he was in advance then, so has he led the party and the country many times since. His nervous style, his clear look into the fu- ture, his forceful manner of relating what he discerns in that future, all these have tended to make the editorial page of the Courier- Journal the most quoted of any newspaper in the country; its editor the most widely known journalist in the Union. He has some- times paid the penalty of being misunderstood ; he has often been abused and misrepresented but has never been turned by either of these modes of attack from the course which he has marked out as the only proper one to pursue. Abuse he really seems, at times, to enjoy. He has been known to say that when nobody was abusing him, it was a sign that he was not doing his duty. With Mr. Tilden as his choice ยท for President, he came into Nation- wide prominence. He was temporary chair- man of the convention at St. Louis which nom- inated Mr. Tilden. He presented the "Star . Eyed Goddess of Reform" to the Nation and the Democratic party has had no abler advo- cate of a "Tariff for Revenue Only" than he. He has declined office, save for a few months during the stirring events connected with the disputed Presidential election of 1876 when he sat in Congress filling out the term of Hon. Edward Y. Parsons of Louisville who had died. He has been a delegate to many Na- tional conventions ; has constantly served on the platform committees and it is generally understood that he wrote entirely the plat- form of 1880. He opposed Mr. Bryan in
1896 and supported Palmer and Buckner. "No compromise with dishonor" was the thrilling message he sent under the sea from Switzer- land to Mr. Haldeman when he learned that Mr. Bryan had been nominated on a free sil- ver platform. Coming home from Europe, he threw himself into the fight against Mr. Bryan and in favor of a sound and stable financial policy. Thousands of subscribers to the Courier-Journal canceled their subscrip- tions, heavy loads of abuse were heaped upon the paper and all connected therewith. yet it kept its course swerving not an inch and living to see the whole country today accept- ing without protest, the principles for which it fought in that memorable campaign. The Courier-Journal has seemed to thrive upon opposition. Editorially it is the strongest pa- per in the Union, while financially it stands at the head of all the newspapers of the South.
Mr. Watterson is an orator as well as the ablest, most accomplished editor of his day and generation. It is an unusual combi- nation. Few great editors have possessed the graces of the orator; few orators have suc- ceeded when they attempted editorial work. Upon the lecture platform, he has charmed and thrilled audiences from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and in conventions and on set occa- sions none more gracefully and eloquently than he charms the listener. He is a many- sided man; the last of the great editors of the period following the war and it is not too high praise to say to him that he was the equal of the best of them, the superior of most of them.
Some partial friends of Mr. Watterson at one time urged his election to the United States Senate but he quickly made known his objections in the following clear-cut state- ment :
"To those over-partial yet unreflecting friends who are coupling the name of the ed- itor of the Courier-Journal with the United States Senatorship, he tenders his hearty
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thanks. Kind words are exceedingly pleasant to hear, even though they be irrelevant. In the hey-day of his manhood, before he lost his party standing, Mr. Watterson had set his face resolutely against office. He was not willing to exchange freedom and affluence at home to take poverty and slavery at Washing- ton. He had then, as now, a post better suited to his needs and capabilities than any which the government or the people could give him. Then, as now, he rejoiced in his calling and his work, in their independence, their disinter- estedness and their opportunities for useful public service. Through a long life they have sufficed him. So, please God, he will die as he has lived, a journalist, and only a journal- ist, but a journalist who owes nothing of fear, or favor, to any party or faction, or mortal man, seeking none other honor than that which springs from the confidence and respect of his fellow-citizens."
At this writing, Mr. Watterson is journalis- tically happy as he is in the midst of a bom- bardment by that section of the State press which is urging the adoption of sumptuary legislation which, as a Democrat of the old school, he opposes. The "new issue" Demo- crats, who take their orders from Mr. Bryan, as they have constantly done since 1896, op- pose Mr. Watterson's views, some in a manly, courtly manner ; others in a different way. To the former, he replies in the same tone they adopt; the latter occasionally feel the lash in a way not soon to be forgotten.
Mr. Watterson nears his seventy-second year, but is still youthful in manner and his editorial work is as virile as in the days of his youth. That he may long be spared to main- tain the Courier-Journal as the very head and front of the long line of journalistic enter- prises of the country, is the wish of all who know him, even those who are often impelled to oppose him.
A history of journalism in Kentucky which failed to note the influence of Emmett Logan
would lose an interesting chapter. His was a unique genius, and a genius he was in his specialty-that of a keen, incisive and occa- sionally merciless paragrapher. He was a newspaper man from the ground up whose search for news was insatiable; when he went out for information he secured it, sometimes to the intense regret of the parties interested in its suppression. When he wrote a para- graph it went straight to the spot at which he aimed and there was no need of a glossary to explain what he meant. He was at one time the Managing Editor of the Courier-Journal in which position he was probably less success- ful than in any other ever held by him. He was hampered in that marvelous fancy of his while holding this position and was restricted in that free expression of his opinions and feelings in which he delighted. One long as- sociated with him in newspaper work, was once described by a superior on the staff as "insubordinate," and the term applies equally as well to Mr. Logan as to his associate and is probably unjust to neither.
Emmett Garvin Logan was born on a farm near a beautiful stream known by the classic name of "Bullskin" in Shelby county, Ken- tucky, October 9, 1848. He was the son of Benjamin Harrison Logan and Martha (Wil- liamson) Logan. He is of Scotch-Irish de- scent on the paternal side, his grandfather, James Logan, coming direct from Ireland dur- ing the eighteenth century and settling in Virginia where he married Mary Logan, a daughter of John Logan known as "Boute- tourt John" who was a cousin of General Ben and Colonel "John of Lincoln" Logan, noted in frontier history as gallant defenders of the settlements against savage incursions. The family was extensive and largely established in Virginia, while those who came to Ken- tucky have written their names well in the State's history.
On the maternal side, the family came from Tennessee, Mr. Logan's mother being a daugh-
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ter of Thomas Williamson of that State. So numerous are the Logans of Kentucky that it is difficult to trace the connection between them, but as they are all active, energetic, good and hard-headed citizens, it is probable that they all descended from the same primary stock.
Emmett G. Logan, as was the rule in the days of his early boyhood, received instruc- tion in what were once known as "old field" schools under private teachers, the public school system being then but little known outside the cities and larger towns. From this inadequate school, he had the immense ad- vantage of being sent to a splendid prepara- tory school at Shelbyville conducted by an ad- mirable trainer of boys, the late Professor J. W. Dodd. After three years in this school, he entered Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Virginia, then under the presidency of the great soldier and man, General Robert E. Lee, graduating with honors in 1871. While at the University following an impelling force which he probably did not then recognize, Mr. Logan became editor of the "Collegian" and thus began the work that was to be his chosen task for so many successful years. In 1872, he founded at Shelbyville the Courant, a weekly newspaper, which he edited so bril- liantly as to soon become widely known among newspaper men as a new and bright reenforce- ment to their ranks. But a weekly paper was not to Logan's liking ; he needed a wider field, and several years after founding the Courant, he sold it and became one of the staff of the Courier-Journal, his specialty at first being Kentucky and Southern news, which he sup- plied in tabloid form thus laying the founda- tion for the paragraphs which some years later were to make him well and widely known wherever newspapers were read.
Mr. Logan during this period developed also a talent for correspondence in which he was successful; no item of news ever escaped his vigilant search and his letters were one of the
attractive features of the paper. Going to Frankfort as a legislative correspondent, he soon "stirred up the animals" with his trench- ant pen and fearless exposure of whatever he deemed was wrong. There had been, to say the very least of it, extreme carelessness in the matter of mileage paid the members, some of whom had undoubtedly collected more money than they were entitled to. Mr. Lo- gan attacked and exposed the existing system, arousing the wrath of those whom he charged with having been paid excessive mileage. It was proposed to deny him the privileges of the floor such as were granted to all corre- spondents but, greatly to Mr. Logan's regret, this was not done. From the galleries, open to all the public, he would have taken notes and printed them which would have made those responsible for his expulsion the laugh- ing stock of the State.
In 1879, former Lieutenant Governor John C. Underwood established a semi-weekly news- paper at Bowling Green and induced Mr. Lo- gan and E. Polk Johnson, who had been fel- low-members of the Courier-Journal staff, to become its joint editors. Mr. Johnson retired from the new paper within a few months and returned to the Courier-Journal. The paper not proving successful, its publication was dis- continued, Governor Underwood establishing a paper known as the News-Journal in Cincin- nati of which Mr. Logan became the manag- ing editor. Leaving Cincinnati, he returned to the Courier-Journal of which paper he be- came the managing editor as before stated.
In 1884, the Louisville Times was born on May Day, its editors being Mr. Logan and his long-time associate, E. Polk Johnson. When this new venture was but one year old, it had established itself as a financial success and was one of the widely quoted newspapers of the country. At the expiration of eighteen months, Mr. Johnson withdrew from The Times to become managing editor of the Cou- rier-Journal while Mr. Logan remained with
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the young giant of afternoon journalism and established the enviable reputation of being the greatest paragrapher in American journal- ism. No one in Kentucky journalism had ever approached him save Mr. George D. Prentice of the Louisville Journal. With Mr. Prentice
four or five lines and everyone knew what he meant when it was read.
Several years since, to the regret of the reading public, Mr. Logan retired from The Times and purchasing a splendid farm near Bowling Green retired to the shade of his own
BARBECUE ON COL. EMMETT G. LOGAN'S FARM, "WALNUT CLIFF FARM," NEAR BOWLING GREEN, WARREN COUNTY. Col. Logan Holding a "Horseweed in Center of Picture.
the paragraph was but an incident of the edi- torial page which was dominated by the heavy and lengthy leading editorial common to his day. With Mr. Logan the paragraph was the editorial page's whole existence. It is doubt- ful if the files of The Times during his entire service with that paper, contain an editorial written by him that filled one-fourth of a col- umn. If he had anything to say, he said it in
vine and fig tree, in the enjoyment of the re- spect and esteem of the thousands who had read his brilliant paragraphs yet had never met him, and the love of those who knew him best and therefore esteemed him highest. He was married November 30. 1881. to Miss Lena Covington of Bowling Green, the daughter of Dr. Albert Covington of that place. To then: were born three stalwart sons, Wells, Emmett
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and Delaney. A few years since a great grief came to Mr. Logan in the death of his gentle and accomplished wife. Since then, he has 'livided his splendid estate of more than five hundred acres among his three sons, taking up his residence in Bowling Green.
Mr. Logan is a Democrat but has been known to go a fishing on election day when a candidate not to his liking happened to be on the ticket. It would be a brave man who would suggest to him that he vote for the can- didate on the other ticket.
Mr. Logan is a Presbyterian by birth, train- ing and predilection, but an irreverent friend suggests that he reminds him of the small boy's reply to his Sunday school teacher who asked him if his father was a Christian. "Oh, yes," said the boy, "Dad's a Christian all right, but he ain't doing much at it here lately."
Numerous inducements have been held out to Mr. Logan to return to journalism, or as he would put it, "to newspaper slavery" but he has resisted temptation, and passes into history as "Farmer Logan." a title given him when he left a newspaper office to become a successful farmer.
There have been and are today numerous other newspapers in Kentucky of high stand- ing but the limitations of this work prevent other than the merest mention. The Frankfort Commonwealth owned and edited years ago by A. G. Hodges was a powerful engine of the old Whig party, but is today scarcely more than a memory. The Kentucky Yeoman, also published at Frankfort, was equally as potent in its support of the Democratic faith under the editorship at different times of S. I. M. Major, J. Stoddard Johnston and Henry T. Stanton. It too has almost faded from mem- ory save among those older men who read it in other years. The Evening Post of Louis- ville, an independent newspaper, edited by Richard W. Knott, with Republican leanings, is a prosperous and virile publication. The Louisville Times, edited by W. B. Haldeman,
is probably the most prosperous afternoon paper in the South. It is Democratic politic- ally, and does not see much to admire in the tenets of any other party. The Herald at Lex- ington, edited by Desha Breckinridge is a prosperous and excellent paper of pronounced Democratic opinions but its editor does not hesitate to express his opposition to candidates of his party whom he deems unworthy of support. The Evening Leader of Lexington, owned and edited by Samuel J. Roberts, is a Republican paper, able, clean and forceful with a high standing in the party and among those who respect an adversary who fights fair. The Louisville Herald is the only other Re- publican daily newspaper published in the State. It is under the editorial management of S. J. Duncan-Clark and is a clean, well edited and prosperous paper. The Daily Mes- senger at Owensboro, is owned and edited by Urey Woodson, for a number of years past a member of and Secretary of the National Democratic Committee. In the days when Mr. Bryan had the habit of running for the Presidency, Mr. Woodson was his ablest sup- porter in Kentucky. The News-Democrat of Paducah edited by W. A. Berry is a strong and excellent paper which has done its full share in keeping the First District in the Democratic line. The Kentucky News-Era at Hopkins, owned by Walker Wood and edited by T. C. Underwood, is a bright and shining Demo- cratic light in the Second district. Mr. Under- wood has a lively fancy ; does not let anyone know that there was ever a dark side to life, and among the newspaper men of the State is a well-beloved associate.
The Messenger, edited by Edward O. Leigh. the Times-Journal, edited by Denhardt Broth- ers, and the News, edited by John Gaines, are the three daily papers which keep the people of Bowling Green informed as to the news of the world. If the publishers of these papers were to take the newspaper men of the coun- try into their confidence and convey to them
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the secret of the success of three daily news- papers in a town of ten thousand people, they would earn their undying gratitude.
There are scores of weekly newspapers in
the State-most of them very good papers- which are entitled to direct mention but again, "the forms are full" and they may not be given that credit to which they are entitled.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN KENTUCKY-MEDICAL JOURNALISM IN KENTUCKY-DR. EPHRAIM McDOWELL-OTHER WELL-KNOWN PHYSICIANS.
The Medical History of Kentucky is a chron- icle of achievement. For generations the members of the medical profession of Ken- tucky have been in the foremost ranks of the learned and skilled practitioners of the coun- try, and Kentucky has been one of the chief centers of medical teaching.
Hence the history of medicine in Kentucky centers around Transylvania University. Be- fore Kentucky became a state the General As- sembly of Virginia in May, 1770, set aside 8,000 acres of land as a fund for maintaining a public seminary, passing an act granting a charter to Transylvania University. In 1773 the Virginia Legislature passed another act chartering the school under the name of Tran- sylvania Seminary, and increased the land grant to 12,000 acres. This latter act gave the school all the powers and privileges of a uni- versity, and for a number of years it was to a considerable extent managed by the Presbyte- rian Church. In 1789 it was located in Lex- ington, Kentucky, with Isaac Wilson at its head with only thirteen pupils.
Lexington wishing to establish the seminary within its limits, organized what was called the Transylvania Land Company and this com- pany offered a lot of ground if the Trustees of the Seminary would build. At this time they had no regular place to hold classes and this offer was accepted, the first school build- ing being erected shortly after.
The Trustees of Transylvania University met in Lexington, Kentucky, June 8, 1799, and organized the Medical Department of the
University, calling it the Medical College of Transylvania. The following men composed the medical faculty: James Fishback, Elisha Warfield, Joseph Buchanan, Constantine S. Rafinesque, H. H. Eaton, Samuel Brown, Rob- ert Peter, Benjamin W. Dudley, James Over- ton, William H. Richardson, Daniel Drake, Charles Caldwell, John Esten Cook, Charles Wilkins Short, Lunsford P. Yandell, Sr., James M. Bush, Ethelbert Dudley, Henry Mar- tyn Skillman, Frederick Ridgely, John Eberlee. Not all of these men were elected at the open- ing of the school, but the list represents men who were connected with the medical depart- ment from first to last. Dr. Samuel Brown was the first medical instructor to qualify, be- ginning his work October 9, 1799. He taught chemistry, anatomy and surgery. He was one of the first men in this country to use cow- pox, having vaccinated as many as 500 as early as 1802. Dr. Ridgely qualified in No- vember, 1799, and taught midwifery, materia medica and physic. After the first session the faculty disbanded because of internal dissen- sions, Drake going to Cincinnati, and Overton to Nashville.
During the second year the faculty was re- organized. Dr. Dudley was in his former chair and Drs. Richardson and Blythe again two of his colleagues. Dr. Charles Caldwell took the chair of Institutes of Medicine, Dr. Samuel Brown Theory and Practice of Med- icine. An effort was made to transfer the medical department to Louisville in 1837 but failed because of Dr. Dudley's opposition.
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Dr. Benjamin Dudley took offense at some re- mark of Dr. Daniel Drake in a faculty meeting and challenged him to a duel. He did not ac- cept but his next friend Dr. Wm. H. Richard- son did and was shot by Dr. Dudley in the leg. which severed an artery. At once Dr. Dud- ley stopped the hemorrhage and they shook hands, and were forever afterwards the best of friends.
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